Update (Nov. 11): Packers edge rusher Lukas Van Ness is Green Bay’s Salute to Service Award nominee. Read how to vote for the Salute to Service Award.
Kirk Cousins’ second run with the Minnesota Vikings starts in the one building he would probably least like to see. Cousins is expected to start Sunday at Lambeau Field, three years after he tore his Achilles there in what became his last game for Minnesota.
The stakes are high for both teams. The Vikings (6-2) and Packers (6-3) are chasing the 7-2 Bears in an NFC North where all four teams have winning records.
Vikings vs. Packers: kickoff time, TV and odds
- When: Sunday, Nov. 15, 1 p.m. ET
- Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- TV: FOX
- Line: Packers -3.5, total 41.5 (ESPN)
The total opened at 45.5 and has dropped four points, according to ESPN. The network’s Football Power Index makes Green Bay a 5.2-point favorite with a 70% chance to win.
For every Week 10 kickoff time and channel, see our Week 10 schedule and TV guide.
Kirk Cousins returns to Lambeau
Minnesota traded for Cousins on Tuesday after its quarterback room fell apart, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported he is expected to start right away. We covered the deal in our Cousins trade story and how it came together.
The last time Cousins played at Lambeau as a Viking was Oct. 29, 2023. He tore his Achilles that day, Yahoo Sports noted, and never played for Minnesota again.
The move tells you how bad things got. In Monday’s 23-6 loss to Buffalo, Carson Wentz completed 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards with two interceptions, according to the Bills’ official site, and the Vikings finished with 178 total yards, per ESPN. Our Bills-Vikings recap has the full breakdown, and our Vikings QB crisis story explains how they got here.
The first meeting was wild
These teams opened the season against each other in Minneapolis, and the Vikings won 39-22.
It should not have gone that way on paper. Kyler Murray left his Vikings debut in the first quarter with a concussion, and Green Bay led 22-10 in the third quarter. Then Minnesota scored the final 29 points, according to the Associated Press via MPR News. Wentz came off the bench and threw three touchdown passes, Fox 9 reported.
Green Bay outgained Minnesota 419 yards to 239 in that game, Football Nation USA noted. Christian Watson caught six passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns, per Pro Football Talk, but most of that came before halftime.
Matchup to watch: Packers passing game vs. Vikings red-zone defense
This game pits strength against strength on one side of the ball.
Green Bay has the NFL’s second-ranked passing offense, according to Squawka. Jordan Love is coming off one of his best games, throwing for 372 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-27 win at New England, per Sportsbettingdime. Read our Packers-Patriots recap. The weak spot is the running game, which Squawka ranks last in the league.
Minnesota’s defense has been the reason it is 6-2. Opponents have scored touchdowns on just 26.3% of red-zone trips against the Vikings, the best rate in the NFL, per Squawka. The under has hit in seven of eight Vikings games this season, SI noted.
On the other side, the Vikings’ passing offense ranks 31st. Green Bay’s defense is third in pass DVOA and 14th against the run, according to BetMGM, which suggests Minnesota may lean on its backs while Cousins gets settled.
Betting trends
- Packers are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games (SI).
- Vikings are 0-3 against the spread in their last three games (SI).
- Vikings are 3-1 on the road this season, and the Packers are 3-1 at home (SportsLine).
What’s at stake
A Packers win would put Green Bay at 7-3 and drop Minnesota to 6-3. A Vikings win would give them the season sweep, which could matter in a division tiebreaker.
The NFC North is the story of the season so far, and we covered it in our NFL midseason report. For every other team with a new starter this week, see our Week 10 QB changes.
Sources: ESPN (2), SI, Squawka, BetMGM, SportsLine, Yahoo Sports, Buffalobills.com, MPR News, Fox 9, Football Nation USA, Pro Football Talk, Sportsbettingdime
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